Funny, Larry McMurtry has been on my mind of late because first, after I caught the bug for an Hermes 3000 typewriter, I found out that he used (uses?) one; second, for an essay I'm writing about books I read his memoir, Books— an experience I would liken to the perfect BLT on the perfect afternoon.
What's my connection with Texas? I was born in El Paso, and I am writing about that in a book in-progress on Far West Texas. Culturally I would describe myself as pre-Silicon Valley (I grew up there, but left before it became what it is today) and with the overlay of Chilangolandia, that is, Mexico City, where I have lived for most of my life.
>> About that book in-progress on Far West Texas: Listen in any time to the podcasts apropos of this project here. Twenty podcasts have been posted to date; I will do 4 more to round it off at 24 podcasts. Stay tuned. The ridiculously delayed podcast about my visit to Bracketville is taking shape....
In case you missed them, here are a few of my Far West Texas podcasts:
PITMASTER ISRAEL CAMPOS IN PECOS
Listen here.
LISA FERNANDES, BARREL RACER AT THE PECOS RODEO
Listen here.
TREMENDOUS FORMS:
PAUL CHAPLO ON FINDING COMPOSITION IN THE LANDSCAPE
Listen here.
GREG WILLIAMS ON THE ROCK ART OF THE LOWER PECOS CANYONLANDS
Listen here.
And a few of my recent book reviews on Texas topics:
The Comanche Empire
by Pekka Hämäläinen
Reviewed for Madam Mayo blog
Nut Country: Right-wing Dallas and the Birth of the Southern Strategy
by Edward H. Miller
Reviewed for Washington Independent Review of Books
The Pecan: A History of America's Native Nut
by James McWilliams
Reviewed for Madam Mayo blog
Lone Star Nation: How Texas Will Transform America
by Richard Parker
For Madam Mayo blog
> All book reviews here.
P.S. If you're in the Washington DC area and find this of interest, I will be teaching a one day only workshop on literary travel writing at the Writer's Center on Saturday April 22 10 AM to 1 PM in Bethesda. More info about that workshop here.
>> Your comments are always welcome. Write to me here.
